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Service and Learning at a Residential Parenting Program for Incarcerated Mothers: Speech-Language Pathology Student Outcomes and Maternal Perspectives

Purpose

This article reports preliminary outcomes from a service-learning (SL) experience for graduate students in the Speech-Language Pathology program with incarcerated mothers who reside with their infants at a residential parenting program. We present an ecological model to serve as a framework for interpreting the impact of the experience on student learning and maternal perceptions.

Method

Graduate speech-language pathology students (total n = 30) participated in an SL project, called the Partnership for Healthy Parenting . With faculty guidance, students implemented parent education and child development workshops designed to foster secure attachment relationships, enhance the quality of mother–child interactions, and promote communication and language development. Students completed self-report scales measuring civic attitudes and self-efficacy before participating; they also provided written reflections about their experience that were analyzed qualitatively. Mothers completed voluntary feedback surveys after each workshop.

Results

Student reflections revealed a variety of perceived positive learning outcomes related to personal attitudes and beliefs about their role as a clinician, family-centered practices in early intervention, and knowledge about the population of interest. Feedback surveys administered to mothers who attended the workshops indicated satisfaction relating to the value of the services provided.

Conclusions

SL programs may benefit students, faculty, communities, higher education institutions, and the relationships among all these stakeholders. Results, limitations, and implications for strengthening university–community collaborations in the field of communication disorders are discussed.